Harlequns 48-41 Sale Sharks, Aviva Premiership, October 1
O'Shea unhappy with late wobble
ESPNscrum Staff
October 1, 2011
Sale's Rob Miller tries to evade Harlequins tacklers, Harlequins v Sale Sharks, Aviva Premiership, The Stoop, London, England, October 1, 2011
Sale fullback Rob Miller dotted twice in his side's defeat at the Stoop © Getty Images
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Harlequins may have extended their 100 percent start to the new Aviva Premiership season with a 48-41 victory over Newcastle on Saturday but director of rugby Conor O'Shea felt that his side had been "taught a lesson" by the Falcons.

The league leaders were 48-17 up after 58 minutes of play courtesy of a brace of tries from Mike Brown and one apiece from George Lowe, Ollie Kohn, Mark Lambert and Nick Evans, who also contributed 15 points with the boot.

Sale fullback Rob Miller crossed for his second try of the game just before the hour but there appeared to little hope of the visitors turning the game around. However, they went desperately close to doing just that, striking three times in the final seven minutes through Vadim Cobilas, Tom Brady and Joaquin Tuculet to clinch the unlikeliest of bonus points.

O'Shea was disappointed with the way in which his side finished the game, feeling that his players went to sleep after a ten-minute break in play caused by the head injury suffered by Sale centre Will Addison.

"That's when we switched off," the former Ireland international said. "That's when we simply failed to get back to top gear while Sale, credit to them, took full advantage and taught us a lesson.

"Sometimes it's tempting to look at how this type of game finishes and forget what went before. We played some wonderful rugby in very hot conditions and I was thrilled by our style and finishing.

"I'm annoyed we gave Sale two points in the end, but they worked so hard at the end and we simply lost momentum.

"I used all our replacements and took Nick Evans off early in the second half because we need to give Rory Clegg game-time. He'll start our games in the LV=Cup, as will a number of guys in the squad who need to be playing."

O'Shea also revealed that his troops were just as disappointed by their sloppy finish at the Stoop in spite of the fact that the victory means that Quins have now made their best start to a season since 1996.

"We're five from five yet the players are down. I'm glad. They won't forget this game in a hurry," he said.

Meanwhile, Sale boss Steve Diamond was full of praise for the way in which his side kept battling right until the end after being completely dominated in the opening 40 minutes.

"I'll remember the last part of that game for some time," he said. "Quins are a very good team who have been together some three years, whereas we are a very new-look squad of lads.

"Quins took us to the cleaners in the first half and I had no complaints. They played good rugby. But we had a straight talk at half-time, the usual stuff needed when a side requires a bit of a gee-up.

"So we did very well indeed to leave the Twickenham Stoop with two points because not many sides will come here this season and go away with two.

"It was very important that we did not go back up the M6 feeling we hadn't really turned up at Quins, and I see that as a watershed in so far as we could have really capitulated and shipped 70 points. Instead the boys showed great character."

Diamond was able to confirm that the injury suffered by Addison is not serious. However, he also revealed that England prop Andrew Sheridan is expected to be out of action until February after undergoing shoulder surger on Friday.

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